Deadline approaches for health care provider relief funding

HHS announced that health care providers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic coronavirus pandemic have until Nov. 6 to apply for a portion of $20 billion in new funding.

According to a press release, the funding is earmarked for health care providers who already received Provider Relief Fund payments to offset any financial losses and operating expenses caused by the pandemic. Previously ineligible providers — including those who began practicing in 2020 — are also invited to apply, as are behavioral health providers who are seeing an uptick in substance use and mental health disorders that have been worsened by the pandemic.

The HHS call center (866-569-3522) is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. EST for questions about the application process.

“We’ve worked with all of the resources we have across HHS to ensure that America’s heroic health care providers know they can apply for support,” HHS Secretary Alex M. Azar II said in the release.